Trailers, such as boat trailers and utility trailers used to haul snowmobiles, motor cycles, and other cargo, are normally connected to the vehicle by means of a ball and socket-type coupling. With this type of coupling, a socket attached to the trailer tongue is engaged with the ball mounted at the rear of the vehicle. When the trailer is removed from attachment to the vehicle, it is often desirable to be able to support the trailer tongue at hitch level to eliminate the need for having to lift the tongue from ground level to hitch height when the trailer is reattached to the vehicle and to prevent the coupling from resting on the ground or dirt.
In the past, retractable wheel supports have been used with the trailer tongue to maintain the tongue above ground level. With this type of support, the wheel is lowered into contact with the ground through operation of a rack and pinion mechanism to lift the trailer tongue out of engagement with the ball on the vehicle. The trailer can then be moved to a desired location on the wheel support, and the wheel support will retain the tongue at the desired height. However, retractable wheel supports are relatively expensive and for that reason have not seen substantial use with small trailers.
In other situations concrete blocks, logs and the like have been used to support the trailer tongue when the trailer is disengaged from the vehicle. However, if the trailer is moved either in a front-to-rear or side-to-side direction, supports of this type will normally tip causing the tongue to fall to the ground and possibly damage the coupling mechanism.
Because of this there has been a need for an inexpensive trailer support stand which will not tip and is capable of following limited trailer movement.